Chapter 783 Moving To Lara's Village
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"What will we do now?"
"What's... the point anymore?"
"My children... they're all dead..."
"Why... Why did this had to happen to us..."
As Lara woke up the next morning, she saw Luck in the exact same position he was when she went to sleep. The voices of the survivors echoing around the caves were unnerving, there were very few of them with any hope left at all.
"L-Luck... Did you sleep at all?" Lara wondered.
"Ah!" Luck quickly felt surprised of her voice. "N-No... I couldn't sleep..."
"You need to rest a bit." Lara sighed, caressing his shoulder.
"I'm fine... I just... was wondering..." Luck cried. "Is there something you're hiding?"
"Eh? Me?" Lara felt surprised. "I..." She looked down, without denying it.
"..." Luck remained in silence. "You know it, right? You know the reason those demonic things attacked us..."
"I..." Lara began crying. "I'm sorry for not telling you, I never thought they would... show up here as well."
"You've seen them before?" Luck wondered, feeling shocked.
"The village I came from was attacked by those insects once..." Lara sighed. "I... I lied to you before. I didn't escaped my village because of selfishness... My family... and my uncle... everyone..."
Luck opened his eyes in surprise... Lara had long ago lost everyone in such a tragic way, yet... Somehow, through this entire time, she had maintained such a cheerful nature?
Despite everything that happened... She was always looking forward and smiling all the time.
"I-I'm sorry..." Luck sighed. "I shouldn't had... asked that."
"No... It's fine." Lara smiled faintly. "It's fine as long as it is you who asked it, Luck..." A few tears flowed down her golden eyes. "I'll tell you everything..."
Lara slowly explained to Luck what had happened to her village. Those giant bug monsters had appeared one day as well, after several years of having been discovered to be the Saint of Spirits, and massacred her village, led by a talking bug that was looking for her.
Her family and the villages protected her, however, and never said where she was, which ended on the entire village being destroyed. Her uncle and the survivors ran away with her into another, far away place, even when her mother, father, and even her big sister died, Lara continued smiling.
Mostly because she knew that if she were to stop smiling, her entire world would simply crumble apart around her...
"Somehow, we managed to set up another village, it took a while, and I helped as much as I could but..." Lara sighed. "I simply couldn't stay. I didn't wanted to stay with them anymore. Those monsters would continue to hunt me down... Because their master, a Demon Lord named Arachne, wanted me dead... So I ran away. I guess that last part... was the truth."
"Lara..." Luck sighed, hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't had misjudged you before..."
"No, it's fine... This is all my fault." Cried Lara. "I should had told you about this before... I shouldn't had stayed... But when you showed me such warmth, and when everyone made me felt needed and useful I... I ended staying longer, and longer..."
"But it's also my fault, isn't it?" Luck asked. "I am also... a Hero, they were seeking me as well. Don't blame yourself for everything, you've done so much for everyone..."
Lara continued crying, apologizing anyways.
"I'm so sorry for your brother... for everyone..." She continued crying. "I-I honestly... I don't even know what to do... I've been trying to act strong but... I'm so scared..."
"Lara..." Luck sighed, caressing her face, and cleaning her tears. "Don't worry... We'll find a way. I... I promise you. I wasn't able to protect anything but I'll grow stronger... I'll protect you. As long as I have you... and as long as you have me, I think we can keep moving on."
"L-Luck..." Lara blushed a bit. "Thank you... for being so nice with me..."
Like that, weeks went by. Lara led the survivors across several tunnels underground, safe from the monsters of the outside. Using the Land Spirits, she brought fruits and grains from the outside, and Luck frequently jumped into the surface to hunt for animals for meat.
After a week and a half of surviving and walking endlessly, the people finally walked into the surface once more, arriving at a grassy hill, where a faraway village could be seen from there.
At the distance, there was a large pack of sheeps and goats, and even some horses. It was a beautiful, fertile land unlike the one they were living before.
"What is this place?" Wondered the chief. "Lara..."
"This is... my village." Lara sighed. "Let's go. I will introduce everyone to my uncle. He'll understand and welcome you all. It might be hard to get used to this change, but it is the only... solution I could think about."
"T-This is more than enough, dear..." The chief sighed. "We'll be forever grateful for everything you've done for us... Luck too."
Lara and Luck had yet to reveal the villages the truth of the invasion, and they decided to not reveal it at all, knowing that the villagers might end up hating them. They wanted to leave in good terms.
"Lara? It is you, LARA?!" The chief of the village greeted everyone, Lara's uncle. An old, sheep anima with a long white beard, big horns, and golden eyes like hers.
"Uncle, I'm back..." Lara sighed. "These people..."
Lara and Luck introduced the villagers, and so they had a conversation together. The chief of both villages came to an agreement after the two heroes' insistence, and Lara's uncle decided to welcome these people.
"It will take a while to build new houses for everyone, so tents will have to do." Sighed Lara's uncle. "And we'll also need more food..."
"Don't worry, my mana's back to full now, I'll bless the lands and multiply the growth of crops and their expansion area." Lara said. "Double the crops should do it?"
"Lara..." Her uncle sighed. "Will you leave afterwards?"
Lara remained in silence, as she looked into the horizon.
"You know I can't stay with you, uncle... I would be risking everyone's lives." She sighed, as her uncle's fists clenched tightly.
"I promised your parents I would protect you..." He sighed.
"I'm sorry..." Lara said. "But... don't worry, I've already found someone that will accompany me." Lara smiled, glancing at Luck in the distance.
"Another Hero like you... You finally found another." Her uncle sighed. noV(elu-sb(c-O-M
"Her brother... died because of me." Sighed Lara. "I can't leave him alone either... I want to stay at his side, wherever we go, and wherever... fate takes us."
"Lara, it doesn't have to be this way... And you know it." Her uncle insisted. "Please, stay with us, everyone misses you dearly..."
"I can't..." Lara furrowed her eyebrows. "I've already made up my mind. We'll find the other heroes and... find whoever this Arachne is and beat her! Until then... I simply can't come back, uncle."
Her uncle felt frustrated, fully knowing he was unable to stop such a powerful, decided girl... However, at the very least, he could give her something to help her.
"Take this." He said, giving Lara a small necklace with a red jewel on it, in the shape of a heart. "This necklace once belonged to my sister, your mother."
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